Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Nomination for U.S. Presidency

Monday 05 August 2024 - 12:25

Her campaign sets a new fundraising record with $310 million in July, reflecting substantial support for her candidacy.

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially garnered the required votes from Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president, according to an announcement by Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison. This milestone marks Harris as the first Black woman and the first Asian American to head a major party's ticket in the United States.

The announcement came during a virtual gathering with supporters, where Harris expressed her profound gratitude and excitement about her nomination. “I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States,” she declared, confirming her plan to formally accept the nomination next week following the conclusion of online voting on Monday.

In a brief conversation with the BBC, Harris remarked, “We believe in the promise of America, and that’s what this campaign is about. We are in this, we are on the road, and it's not going to be easy, but we’re going to get this done.”

The virtual voting process, which began on Thursday and will continue until Monday evening, has already seen Harris exceed the necessary threshold of 2,350 delegate votes to secure the nomination. Nearly 3,923 delegates, representing 99% of participants, are expected to cast their votes in her favor.

Harris’s path to the nomination was significantly eased by President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race last month, during which he endorsed her candidacy. Following Biden’s endorsement, several potential challengers also stepped aside, clearing the way for Harris to emerge as the primary contender for the nomination.

In a testament to the robust support for her candidacy, Harris’s presidential campaign reported a record-breaking $310 million in fundraising for July, more than double the amount raised by her Republican opponent. The campaign disclosed that over $200 million of that total was raised in the first week of Harris’s candidacy, with two-thirds of the contributions coming from first-time donors.